This was written as a response to a blog in which a disillusioned, Independent, fundamental Baptist was giving his reasons why being a fundamental Baptist was no longer “exciting”. While he made some valid points, I felt he was throwing the baby out with the bath water and swinging the pendulum to the extreme other side. However, this response to his blog was excellent (In my humble opinion).

“Having been raised in a “true” denomination (Baptist General Conference) I was drawn to IFB because of its independence, passion, strong stand for “thus saith the Lord”, and it’s courage to pick up discarded doctrines (separation, true Biblical authority, the crystal clear Gospel, personal evangelism). Once “in” I was disillusioned by the lack of true independence it really had. While the pastor’s didn’t have a denominational director, per se, the pressure to fit in and appear conforming was the invisible ex officio denominational director in every flavor (aka camp) of IFB church.

When super structures are created and are as revered as Scripture then a group or movement is doomed to the “crabs in a barrel” phenomenon.

Having said that, we need to be thoughtful to not allow our current culture of fast-paced neuro stimulation addiction to revise the truth of the Early Church (or the Early IFB Church). I do not believe these times were “exciting”. I believe we read that they were quite the opposite: they were riddled with hard work, persecution, suffering, fear, discouragement, heart-break, physical injury and death (or the threat of both), financial challenge, etc. The NT epistles are basically correction for carnal believers, encouragement for persecuted believers, and sound doctrine for growing believers full of commands, exhortation, rebuke, edification, example, and evangelism.

To over-sensualize these “movements” is to create a false sense of hope that Christian work is somehow exciting and fun if we’d just make some changes. Paul needed to exhort them (and us) to “be not weary in well doing.” Serving God in a wicked, cursed world is hard…not exciting. Are there moments of excitement during the battle? Yes! But the routine of daily warfare is hard (2 Tim 2:3).

Remember, this is a war and our time is short. There is a devil. He and his host do not sleep. This is not the child of God’s time to build a comfortable life for themselves in Babylon…but to war and fight and rescue for our King and His Kingdom.

At the same time there is never any room for pride, envy, strife, self-righteousness, selfishness, politics (within the church), etc. MOST of the New Testament repeats this ad nauseam…this is not a new problem and this is not an IFB problem…it’s a sin problem. Sin always hinders the work of God and our effectiveness in the field. Sin taints our love for others, our ability to care and have compassion, our desire to “go” when “staying” is more fun (Netflix, Facebook, Video Games, Sports, etc). IFB is simply a reflection of you and me and the choices we’ve made and, like a real mirror, we don’t like what we see when we stop and stare. The solution? Others, Lord, yes others; let this my motto be: help me to live for others, Lord, that I might live for thee.

Note: Samuel grew up under the pastorate of Eli, Phinehas, and Hophni. Not once do we find recorded in Scripture Samuel’s dissertation of the problems with the EHP movement….but, rather, we see an individual who surrendered himself to the Lord and served the Lord all the days of his life.

Your church is only as strong as the individual members that make it up. Your duty is to be and to stay surrendered to God and encourage others in your church to do the same….firstly, by example, and secondly, with words.

Herein is true humility, righteousness, and leadership practically lived out. Herein is where Bible-based and Spirit-led improvement to the IFB exercised.

May God bless your submission to His Will and your Obedience to His Word and Spirit as you passionately serve Him!”

26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

What a tremendous example the Lord Jesus sets before us in the passage above. He not only said this of himself, but he demonstrated it repeatedly as he walked among the people throughout his brief three and a half year ministry, and then ultimately upon the cross.

Can the disciples of Christ do less than their Master? Can we truly call ourselves Christians (little Christs) when we live to be served rather than to serve? It was Christ who said in Luke 6:40 ~ “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”The word, “perfect”, as we understand it, is to mean “mature.” So then, as we mature in Christ, we are to emulate his nature and character. It’s understandable that a new Christian, in the formative stages of his Christian life, would want to soak up as much of the Word of God from the pew as he possibly can, but at some point that new Christian will desire to be ‘wrung out’, so-to-speak, by God, in service to Him.

May God help us, as we strive to be the salt in this decaying world, to follow in his steps by praying and looking for opportunities to serve. Let us not only seek to serve at the church among believers, but also in the world, that men may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.

A final thought for us pastors along these lines as well. Let it not be said of us that we simply desired to have a large enough congregation so that our needs could be met. Let us lead in faithful dependence upon God to meet our needs as we busy ourselves serving those he has put in our charge. Walk humbly among those saints whose God is forever watching as the under-shepherd cares for, feeds, sacrifices, and loves his flock.

I enjoy listening to Dave Ramsey as much as the next guy, and, per his advice, I have tried to apply as many of the biblical principles regarding debt-free living into my life as possible, but there is still one debt I, as a Christian, will never pay in full. It’s not because I don’t want to pay this debt. Indeed, I would love nothing more at the end of my life than to be able to say, “I’ve run the race, I’ve finished my course, I’ve kept the faith.” But I read in the book of Romans about a debt that I will never get paid in full because I can’t stop this world from populating itself. As long as people are in this world and without Jesus Christ, I, as a born-again child of God, am indebted to them. I owe it to my fellow human being to share with him the gospel of Jesus Christ. I possess the knowledge of how he can miss Hell and make Heaven. If I do not share that knowledge, then I am of all men most rank.

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:14-16

“I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Many of us are on a fast track to be debt-free within a certain period of time. Many have made material and monetary sacrifices so that they are not chained to a lender. But how many sacrifices have we made to be debt free spiritually? As the physical debt is always in the front of our conscience, so also should the spiritual debt weigh heavily upon our soul. Brethren, let us look around. Are we ignoring our spiritual debt? Just as a monetary debt grows exponentially if ignored, so also does our spiritual debt compound as the population increases. Many lost souls are plunging into an eternal hell because we are shrugging of our Christian responsibility to share the soul saving, life changing gospel with them. I’m sure glad someone paid his debt to me 28 years ago!

As we go about our tasks this week or this month, I encourage you to join me in the challenge to be consciously aware of our heavenly debt. Let’s carry gospel tracts and ask God to help us be sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings as we cross the paths of those to whom we are indebted. May God bless you richly as you serve him is my prayer.

When the apostle John was writing this letter, idol worship was very prevalent. Elaborate temples were built to honor and worship false gods. Mammoth sized images were erected to advertize a city’s allegiance and devotion to their particular god or goddess. Entire cities, such as Ephesus, depended upon the worship of the fertility goddess, Dianah, for their economic livelihood. When, in the Book of Acts, the apostle Paul and his companion Barnabas healed a man in the city of Iconium, the citizens actually believed the two preachers were Mercurius and Jupiter come down to the earth in the likeness of men. Roman military, Roman Caesars, and Roman roads might have connected, identified and civilized the known world, but it was the Greek’s superstitions, love of philosophy, and worship of false gods by the dozens that still invaded the minds and hearts of its citizens.

But John was not writing to those known pagans or idol worshippers. He was not addressing those who did not know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. His letter was to Christians whose lives had been steeped in idolatry before they were saved. He wanted to encourage those Christians who had been delivered from spiritual darkness to keep for God that place in their heart and life that belonged to Him and Him alone. Nineteen centuries ago Zeus, Jupiter, Hercules, Dianah, and a host of other false, man-made gods were the objects of affection that Christians daily struggled to deny. It wasn’t as simple as avoiding the pagan temple or throwing away or destroying their personal idols. It was much more complicated than that because pagan worship and idolatry was infused into every facet of their lives. It was their very culture. In many areas of the city, miniature shrines would be erected where subjects were required to bow and pay homage as they passed by. In certain markets or other places of business, one was required to bow to an idol before they could even enter. Obviously, Christians who desired to maintain a clear conscious before the true and living God refused to do so and were swiftly denied access to these establishments, and were eventually severely persecuted.

Today, the temptation is to superficially read this verse with little or no regard to its relevance, and yet, this passage is just as relevant and applicable today as it was in the days of the patriarchs and apostles. In fact, it is probably more relevant to us in this post Christian American culture than it ever has been before. The only difference between us and the Christians of the 2nd century is the objects of our affections.

Our culture is not “pagan” in theory, but it sure is in practice. Americans are expected to bow to the idols of political correctness and social acceptance. Even churches have succumbed to this warped ideology and are conforming to the world rather than being transformed by the Word. The average church in America today is trying to be sugar to a decaying society that is in desperate need of salt. Bowing to the idol of popularity has placed Christianity in America on the precipice of losing its identity. American Christianity, and particularly conservative Christianity, has become irrelevant in our post Christian society. Keeping ourselves from idols would mean preaching an unpopular message and living an unpopular lifestyle, and many churches and Christians are simply not willing to pay that high of a price. But God did not call us to be popular, but rather to be holy!

The Holy Spirit never fails to convict my heart when I begin allowing idols, altars and high places into my heart and life. If not put in check early, these squatters will quickly crowd Christ from His throne. Too often, I allow my affections to be averted from the eternal by being distracted by the temporal,. It takes a conscious, daily effort for me to keep my sights fixed upon things above rather than those things on the earth.

The verse, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols”, is a very real and personal admonition for my daily life. I wonder if it is for you as well.

“And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” ~ Mark 10:17-22

This rich young ruler in the above passage was not willing to give up his earthly wealth in order to amass a spiritual fortune. I often just shake my head in amazement when I consider how much that choice actually cost him. But just as I begin self righteously counting my fundamental phylacteries, God lovingly reminds me that this event is played out somewhat differently nearly every day in the lives of Christians, myself included.

We Christians say with our lips that we want the fullness of God’s Spirit or to be endued from on high with the power of God. We say we want unction. We pastors and preachers pray to God to fill us and to bless our ministries. But there is a tremendous cost that we often fail to consider before making such a request.

Those whom God blessed and used mightily were willing to be emptied of self and put aside all of their own personal ambitions and aspirations. Are we? They were willing to lay aside their own agendas so that God’s will would be done in their lives. Are we? They were willing to give up their little worldly and carnal pleasures which they, being human, no doubt frequently indulged in. Are we? It meant tearfully agonizing through seasons of prayer and fasting with a broken heart. It meant not being a respecter of persons in their preaching and witnessing, but to be obedient to preach exactly what He laid upon their hearts, no matter who is in the congregation. When was the last time we spent more than a few minutes in prayer at someplace other than the supper table, or more than a day in fasting? And was the motive behind it selfish or for others?

The truth is, that in our apathetic society, most Christians don’t want to sacrifice sleep, and food, and play, or jeopardize our comfortable stations in our churches in order to obtain the fullness of God. We preachers don’t want to stir the waters of complacency by preaching against certain issues or worldly practices for fear that some of our bigger tithers will take offense and leave. We count our earthly pleasures as great riches and when God asks us if we are willing to leave all of these in order to obtain great spiritual riches, we sorrowfully turn away.

We will never know the fullness of God’s Spirit nor His power until we realize it is all that matters and it is the only thing worth having.

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